After noticing there were limited support services and poor access for people with disabilities (PWDs) in Lashio, Northern Shan State, Golden Pearl was founded in May 2015 in Lashio, northern Shan State, by three people to improve support services and access for people with disabilities. They worked as volunteers, conducting home visits to households with people with disabilities to interact and provide psychological support.
“Disability services are even more limited in rural areas than in the big cities – even to get a wheelchair in Lashio, we have to go to Yangon to get it,” said Golden pearl Project Assistant Daw Moe Thuzar. "It costs a lot of money and travel time that the families cannot afford.”
Golden Pearl was awarded a grant by the Uplands Township Fund and began engaging with the Department of Social Welfare to intiate advocacy work, public awareness raising of disability issues and advocated for the implementation of Myanmar's 2015 Rights of Persons with Disability Law with communities and government institutions. Golden Pearl set up an office and recruited full-time staff.
Golden Pearl also formed the Golden Future disabled groups network, which organises public awareness campaigns regarding peole with disabilities.
“When Golden Pearl staff came to visit my house, I used to hide in the room and I asked my family members to tell them I was not at home,” said Ma Myo, who lost her vision. “I served as a police women for about 14 years. Then I lost my vision and I had to quit my job, which I loved. After I lost my vision suddenly, I didn’t want to talk or meet anyone except my relatives and close friends. Because of Golden Pearl staff’s continual encouragement and support, I have confidence and courage again to meet with other disabled persons. Now I have become a community facilitator. I am so proud of myself, and my family, especially my children, are so proud of me.”
Golden Pearl also supports people with disabilities with financial aid to set up micro-enterprises and provides vocational training. They run awareness raising campaigns through primary schools, to the general public and with other CSOs and government. They advocated to the Lashio Township Municipal Authorities and a private company was contracted for construction of public facilities in Lashio that are suitable for people with disabilities.
The Shan State Burmese Ethnic Affairs Minister linked Goldern Pearl with the YMCA, to assist the YMCA to identify 20 young people with disabilities to be involved in a three-year project that will provide financial capital assistance for small business management and livelihoods activities.
With support from LIFT, through the Uplands Township Fund, Golden Pearl is now a benchmark for supporting the rights of people with disabilities in Lashio. They are now in the process of registering as a state level organisation to extend their work in other townships in northern Shan State.
